1. In the space below, describe the stasis at the beginning of Split Second. In other words, “Where are we?” “When is it (time, day, and year)?” “Who are the people involved?” “What is the dramatic situation in which the characters find themselves as the play unfolds?”
Split Second is a story set in New York City that centers around Val, a man who just shot a cuffed, white care thief, and his struggle with is guilt and race. It uses his family and friends to help push the narrative forward and show how they feel about the same situations. It is likely set in the 80’s as that would put Val in the correct age to be a youngish cop after serving in Vietnam.
2. What is the intrusion that causes the stasis to be broken and the dramatic action to develop, often at an increasingly rapid pace, to the end of the play? Be careful when citing the intrustion, it may not be where you initially think it is.
At first sight, many would think that the actual shooting is the intrusion, but that is not the case. The intrusion is when Val first admits that the man was cuffed when he shot him. This is when Val’s guilt is first put into the world. It becomes a concious part of him that he has to deal with through the rest of the play.
3. Why do the events of the play take place at this particular time and place? In other words, what is the unique factor which is out of the ordinary that causes a turn of events to take place?
This is the day that Val. a black police officer, shot a white car thief.
4. State the dramatic questions that must be answered by the end of the play? (Ordinarily, the dramatic question shares a close connection with the intrusion.)
-WIll Val be able to live with his guilt and inner demons? -Will Val reveal that the shooting was staged?
5. Use Val to answer the questions concerning character. Ball says, a character is revealed by what he/she does, that is, dramatic actions that are taken. Examine what Val wants (NOTE: In Split Second the wants of Val are in flux and he is being swayed by his father, his wife, his friend, and his colleague at work. His wants seem to change as the play progresses). The wants of a character often encounter obstacles that get in the way of achieving those wants. Ball says there are 4 kinds of obstacles that frustrate the wants of a character. They are: a. Me against myself, b. Me against another individual, c. Me against society (that is law, social norms, etc.) and, d. Me against fate, the universe, natural forces, God or the gods. In answering these questions be sure to point to the particular obstacles that the character encounters.
There are a couple Me vs another individual scenarios that take place in this play. The first is Val’s run in with William H. Willis. Willis bugs him and bugs him and harrasses him until Val cannot take it anymore, and this leads Val to shoot him. This leads Val into another Me vs another individual scenario as he is questioned by his chief of police, Parker. Most of the obstacle with this play although are me vs myself as Val struggles to deal with his guilt. It is if he can deal with it, especially after talking to his father. There is also a over arching feeling of me vs society as Val feels like he has been systematically repressed his whole life. This leads to the question, would Val have shot him if he were white.
6. The most important information in most plays takes place during theatrical moments. Identify the most theatrical moments in Split Second.
Among the most theatrical moments in Split Second is where Val is talking to a drunken Charlie about there services in Vietnam. Charlie is talking to about his kills in Vietnam and how he has not gotten over it even though everyone told him that is what he should have done. The difference here is that Val reveals that this was his first kill, and Charlie says you never forget your first kill. Val is also more in dillema as everyone does not agree with him like his father.
Another theatrical moment is when Val chooses to continue his lie on the stand, and the trial ends with a gunshot and fades to black. This may be the end of the play, but this represents what happenes to Val. His character and morality have been killed here as the gunshot signifies him killing his old self.
7. Provide at least three examples of images in Split Second. How does the title of the play help us understand the images in the play? (Remember Ball says that, “An image is the use of something we know that tells us something we don’t know.” He goes on to say that images invoke and expand, rather than define and limit.”)
The Knife
As this is brought up over and over again in the play until it disappears, it represents the rationalization of the case that Val has created. It is what the case was depending on, and it begins to disappear from the script as his rationale does.
Vietnam
Vietnam is a weird time in American history, and it is often considered very morally ambiguous. It crosses the line between bad and good with many people trying to rationalize why we were there. These Vets get criticized for being in Vietnam even though they were put there, as Val believe his past put him here.
“Shot Through The Heart”
This in a way represents what eventually happens to Val. He is “shot through the Heart” as he is corrupted in his heart and morality as the play comes to a close.
8. Ordinarily, there are many themes in most plays. List the themes in Split Second.
-Race -Overcoming one’s past -Guilt -Rationalizing one’s own actions -Survival
9. Most American plays have something to do with family and/or family relationships. What does family have to do with the dramatic action in Split Second?
Family has to do a lot with this play, but in different ways. A lot of it has to do with how he is viewed in the eyes of different characters. By his actual father, Rusty, Val is looked down upon. Val cannot live with having a son who lies about shooting the man, and cannot look at Val if he continues to lie. However, Val does not want to live without Val and can live with him free, even if he lied. This has to stem with their different view on their race as well as Rusty sees himself as lucky for getting to come up in a world that is supposed to suppress him. Val tries to show him how they are still discriminated against.
Split Second is a story set in New York City that centers around Val, a man who just shot a cuffed, white care thief, and his struggle with is guilt and race. It uses his family and friends to help push the narrative forward and show how they feel about the same situations. It is likely set in the 80’s as that would put Val in the correct age to be a youngish cop after serving in Vietnam.
2. What is the intrusion that causes the stasis to be broken and the dramatic action to develop, often at an increasingly rapid pace, to the end of the play? Be careful when citing the intrustion, it may not be where you initially think it is.
At first sight, many would think that the actual shooting is the intrusion, but that is not the case. The intrusion is when Val first admits that the man was cuffed when he shot him. This is when Val’s guilt is first put into the world. It becomes a concious part of him that he has to deal with through the rest of the play.
3. Why do the events of the play take place at this particular time and place? In other words, what is the unique factor which is out of the ordinary that causes a turn of events to take place?
This is the day that Val. a black police officer, shot a white car thief.
4. State the dramatic questions that must be answered by the end of the play? (Ordinarily, the dramatic question shares a close connection with the intrusion.)
-WIll Val be able to live with his guilt and inner demons?
-Will Val reveal that the shooting was staged?
5. Use Val to answer the questions concerning character. Ball says, a character is revealed by what he/she does, that is, dramatic actions that are taken. Examine what Val wants (NOTE: In Split Second the wants of Val are in flux and he is being swayed by his father, his wife, his friend, and his colleague at work. His wants seem to change as the play progresses). The wants of a character often encounter obstacles that get in the way of achieving those wants. Ball says there are 4 kinds of obstacles that frustrate the wants of a character. They are: a. Me against myself, b. Me against another individual, c. Me against society (that is law, social norms, etc.) and, d. Me against fate, the universe, natural forces, God or the gods. In answering these questions be sure to point to the particular obstacles that the character encounters.
There are a couple Me vs another individual scenarios that take place in this play. The first is Val’s run in with William H. Willis. Willis bugs him and bugs him and harrasses him until Val cannot take it anymore, and this leads Val to shoot him. This leads Val into another Me vs another individual scenario as he is questioned by his chief of police, Parker. Most of the obstacle with this play although are me vs myself as Val struggles to deal with his guilt. It is if he can deal with it, especially after talking to his father. There is also a over arching feeling of me vs society as Val feels like he has been systematically repressed his whole life. This leads to the question, would Val have shot him if he were white.
6. The most important information in most plays takes place during theatrical moments. Identify the most theatrical moments in Split Second.
Among the most theatrical moments in Split Second is where Val is talking to a drunken Charlie about there services in Vietnam. Charlie is talking to about his kills in Vietnam and how he has not gotten over it even though everyone told him that is what he should have done. The difference here is that Val reveals that this was his first kill, and Charlie says you never forget your first kill. Val is also more in dillema as everyone does not agree with him like his father.
Another theatrical moment is when Val chooses to continue his lie on the stand, and the trial ends with a gunshot and fades to black. This may be the end of the play, but this represents what happenes to Val. His character and morality have been killed here as the gunshot signifies him killing his old self.
7. Provide at least three examples of images in Split Second. How does the title of the play help us understand the images in the play? (Remember Ball says that, “An image is the use of something we know that tells us something we don’t know.” He goes on to say that images invoke and expand, rather than define and limit.”)
8. Ordinarily, there are many themes in most plays. List the themes in Split Second.
-Race
-Overcoming one’s past
-Guilt
-Rationalizing one’s own actions
-Survival
9. Most American plays have something to do with family and/or family relationships. What does family have to do with the dramatic action in Split Second?
Family has to do a lot with this play, but in different ways. A lot of it has to do with how he is viewed in the eyes of different characters. By his actual father, Rusty, Val is looked down upon. Val cannot live with having a son who lies about shooting the man, and cannot look at Val if he continues to lie. However, Val does not want to live without Val and can live with him free, even if he lied. This has to stem with their different view on their race as well as Rusty sees himself as lucky for getting to come up in a world that is supposed to suppress him. Val tries to show him how they are still discriminated against.